Valdosta State Issues Notification of Computer Breach

VALDOSTA -- Valdosta State University continues to investigate
unauthorized access to a computer server. The breached server
contained employee and student information.

Joe Newton, director of Information Technology, said the breech was
first detected on Dec. 11, 2009; however, unauthorized access dated
back to Nov. 11, 2009. On Dec. 11, the university posted a news
release that communicated the extent of the breach. http://www.valdosta.edu/news/releases/computer.121109

“An initial investigation has found no evidence that any personal
data was accessed or transferred,” Newton said. “The breached
server was secured and removed from the network. We are continuing
the investigation with assistance from University Police and the
Georgia Bureau of Investigation. ”

The university is in the process of contacting all individuals
whose information might have been exposed. Individuals wanting to
confirm the status of their information should visit the
Information Technology notification Web site at www.valdosta.edu/notify
.

“We regret the incident and are reviewing and revising our
procedures and practices to minimize the risk of a reoccurrence,”
Newton said.